Big Retail In Little Spaces

As retailers struggle to save money in a sluggish economy, they’re starting to downsize – literally.

After all, a smaller space will have a lower rent, fewer costs for storing inventory, and a need for fewer employees.

The Times notes that the “change reflects two trends in the retail world: Chains looking for new ways to cut costs in the sour economy, and consumers demanding a less sprawling shopping experience as they spend with greater purpose.”

It’s also giving the stores an opportunity to flex their creative muscles as smaller spaces demand flexible design.

One Bloomingdales in California, for example, has dressing room walls that retract into the ceiling, which, we can only hope, only occurs only when no one is inside them.